Friendly Fire
by LanternLight13
Summary: Natasha Romanoff was very conservative when it came to making friends and as a consequence very few could call themselves as such. But friendly fire on the other hand was something that she was quite familiar with.
1. Chapter 1

Something I came up with, not sure how it went, but I'll leave it up to you all to decide. Enjoy.

Rated T for mentions of violence.

**Friendly Fire**

Natasha Romanoff was very conservative when it came to making friends and as a consequence very few could call themselves as such. But friendly fire on the other hand was something that she was quite familiar with.

The first time was a coincidence really, out of everyone in the room it was she who was the closest to Banner when the explosion hit the carrier and it was she who was thrown from the room with him. It was unsurprising when Banner lost control and the Hulk came out.

The second time was in extraordinary circumstances and soon after the Hulk, when she went after Barton.

The third time she figured she was having a bad run. The fourth and fifth made her think that she was cursed and sixth she did not expect at all. Because whenever one member of the Avengers turned against the team, it somehow always ended up being Natasha in the line of fire.


	2. Chapter 2

**Captain America**

The third time was surprising to say the least. A close quarters battle, the aim was to get to the centre of a top secret facility where the bio-toxin to end all bio-toxins was being stored before its sale at noon the next day. A standard mission, but with very thorough defences requiring the varied skillsets of the Avengers.

Stark had got them through the security system with information provided by the very persuasive Natasha and Thor was escorting Banner through the building in an attempt at keeping the other guy from making an appearance. Banner was needed more for his brain than brawn on this mission. The Captain took the front line with Stark while the two assassins watched their backs and took out anyone they could. It was your classic white-walled and fluorescent-light-lit facility where sounds echoed, the hallways made up a labyrinth and an army of mercenaries were on staff.

It was going well; Stark, Rogers and Romanoff had reached the centre leaving a trail of bodies for Thor and Banner to follow while Barton had an assortment of perches to shoot from. White like the rest of the facility, this room was large – a high ceiling with catwalks and exposed roof supports to Barton's delight – and in the centre a smaller, enclosed laboratory where the bio-toxin and the mad scientist were hiding out. However the entirety of the floor space was occupied by the aforementioned mercenaries, armed with an array of bioweapons with effects that ranged from knocking you out to killing you. Given that half of the Avengers were either superhuman or enclosed completely in metal, S.H.I.E.L.D. had decided that they were the ideal team to handle the situation.

Barton and Stark took air support while Rogers and Romanoff went in close-quarters. Between the four of them they were able to keep the mercenaries at bay without being overwhelmed. It was just a matter of avoiding being shot and outlasting the enemy.

When it happened, it was a complete accident. Steve was surrounded by mercenaries, using his shield to block their darts then knocking them out cold with an unsuspected punch or kick and finally throwing his shield at a target before the next wave came at him. He threw his shield at one of the mercenaries to his right, running to join the next group forming. At the same moment the mercenary tripped over thin air and fell to the ground. It was bad luck that Natasha happened to be in a direct line behind him.

Natasha was over being graceful after she had disposed of her fiftieth mercenary. The battle was all about conserving energy and she had already run out of ammo after a few doors had needed blasting open. Her spare clips had been lost in a previous scuffle. She concentrated on making hits that would take the mercenaries out of the battle rather than just unarm them. Surrounded on all sides with needle-tipped darts flying everywhere her mind was busy keeping an eye on any movement. The darts were small so she supposed that to an observer she looked like she was showing off, doing multiple flips and spins for no apparent reason, but each time she narrowly missed a dart aimed at her. A large shield flying towards her caught her attention at the last second and she was able to twist enough with the impact to absorb some of the force but not miss it entirely.

The room seemed to freeze for a moment, everyone surprised that the relentless woman had been thrown to the ground by friendly fire no less. Barton and Stark took advantage of the sudden lull, finishing off most of the mercenaries with a few blasts and an explosive arrow or two. Those that remained dropped their weapons and surrendered.

Steve reached Natasha first being the closest. A few hits to the mercenaries that had closed in on the Widow – the few that hadn't already been downed after she grabbed the enemy gun lying on the ground next to her – and he was kneeling at her side.

"I'm so sorry, the guy moved and then you were behind him and I'm just really sorry, Natasha," he babbled, pulling his shield off of her and helping her sit up.

"It's fine, Steve," she managed, hissing as her most definitely broken ribs were jostled.

Barton slid down the closest ladder and jogged over to his partner, dodging Stark as he landed near her feet. "Nat?" he asked taking up position on her other side.

"I'm fine."

"You're hurt," he countered. "How bad are your ribs?"

"Not bad. Same as Cairo."

"Come on then, let's get you up." Together he and Steve pulled Natasha to her feet.

"Nice work, Captain," Stark commented, lifting up his head plate, "first time you miss your target and you manage to not only hit one of the four good guys in the room but also miss the hundred or so bad guys. The odds are unbelievable."

"Shut up, Stark," Natasha ordered, standing of her own will but holding one arm to her torso.

"What?" he asked innocently, "I'm just stating the facts."

"Well stop."

Steve looked down at Natasha with a upset look on his face. She would have said that out of the two of them he looked to be in more pain. "I can't say how sorry I am, Natasha. I had no idea that you were there. I should have been more careful." The sincerity in his eyes alone would have made her forgive him if she hadn't already.

"You stop as well," she ordered, "you've got nothing to be sorry for. Things like this happen all the time, especially in situations like this. I'm fine, just a little bruised. Now if you don't mind I'd really like to finish this mission today."

"Alright, you heard the lady," Stark said, replacing the face plate and turning to the lab in the middle of the room.

Banner and Thor made a timely entrance and Stark took the opportunity to blow one of the doors off of the lab. Thor who had missed out on the majority of the battle gleefully deflected the lone scientist's attacks and pinned him to the wall. With a last look at Natasha, to which she responded with a nod, Steve left to go rescue the scientist from Thor and to start questioning him. Stark and Banner went about readying the bio-toxin for transport.

"You still fine, Natasha?" Barton asked when the others were out of hearing range.

"Always and forever," she responded with a dry smile.

"So you don't want me to call for clean-up to deal with the mercenaries that are currently starting to come to?"

"Oh no, you still get to do that. Gives them something to do."

Barton chuckled and put in a call to headquarters. "You lot over there ready to go?" he called out to the others.

"Good to go," Steve answered, the scientist in the secure grip of Stark and Banner carefully holding a locked silver briefcase. As a group they escorted the scientist out of the building to the waiting transport, the assassins lagging behind.

"I can help you if you want," Barton offered as Natasha delicately navigated the unconscious bodies while suppressing a wince with every step.

"I'm fine," she said firmly, "besides, don't need to give Rogers any more of a guilt-trip."

"Sure?"

She pulled Barton's spare gun from his leg holster and in one move shot the mercenary that had been trying to sneak up on Banner and the briefcase.

"I'm sure."


	3. Chapter 3

Warning, this one's a little heavy and mentions death of innocent people. If you're sensitive, feel free to skip this chapter.

* * *

**Thor**

The fourth time it was their first big battle together after New York, a big enough threat that even Thor had specifically returned from Asgard to help defend the Earth.

There were a few moments when it was uncertain if they would win, much less make it out alive, but when the smoke had cleared they were all there, injured but able to heal.

The city they were in was now in ruins. Cars, rubble, glass, bodies and much more littered the streets. The battle was over and until their transport arrived the Avengers were doing what they could. Hawkeye, Black Widow and Iron Man were searching the city for any enemies that had been missed while Captain America, Thor and a de-hulked Dr Banner were helping the survivors and clearing the streets so emergency vehicles could get through.

Natasha was walking away from a caved in building when lightning struck not a metre away from her. She rolled with the shockwave and came up standing, facing the furious demi-god on the other side of the street. He roared and she was forced to leap out of the way of another bolt.

"Thor, what are you doing?!" she shouted, dodging a third strike while simultaneously pulling her gun and aiming it at her team member.

"What am _I_ doing?" he thundered. "What are you?!" Natasha ducked as a bolt cracked through the air right where her head had been.

"I am your team member," she shouted, tense and balancing on the balls of her feet, waiting for the next strike. She didn't want to shoot Thor until she had to and had little chance of incapacitating him without being electrocuted. She was fast, but not faster than lightning.

"Thor, buddy, what are you shooting at down there?" came Stark's voice over the comms.

"Me," she gasped out as she performed yet another dive roll and came up in front of a car which had been crashed into a streetlight.

Thor shouting "Traitor!" drowned out the other's responses. The next lightning bolt was the strongest yet and the force of it threw her back onto the roof of the car. A quick backwards tumble prevented her being smashed by Mjolnir but she hit the ground on the other side of the car hard.

With a growl Thor threw the car, dinted beyond recognition from his hammer, out of the way and kept advancing towards the spy until she was cornered against a building. She raised her gun with determination. The crack of a gunshot and the clash of Mjolnir sounded simultaneously as Thor swung the hammer into her gun. The bullet went wide, the gun flying after it, leaving Natasha unarmed and with a broken finger. She prepared herself to tackle a god of lightning.

"_Stop_," ordered Rogers, running up to the pair.

Thor ignored him and raised Mjolnir.

"If you move one more inch, I will shoot you through the eye," came Barton's quiet voice. He dropped down from the roof of the building behind Natasha, arrow nocked, string drawn and bow aimed, taking up position next to his partner.

"Well this is fun," commented Stark, landing opposite Rogers, forming a rough circle.

"What is going on?" Rogers demanded.

"The Black Widow has done an unspeakable thing and must be punished," Thor answered, never taking his eyes off of Natasha.

"You're going to have to speak about it if you want to ah, punish Agent Romanoff without an arrow in your eye," Stark pointed out.

"I wouldn't count on it," was Barton's only reply.

"Enough," Rogers shouted. "Thor, Barton, stand down."

"I cannot do that," Thor said.

"Sorry, Cap, me neither."

"It's okay, Clint," Natasha said quietly.

"Nat?"

"Tokyo."

Barton lowered his weapon, but left the arrow nocked. Natasha stepped forward, no longer tensed for action, until she was in range of Mjolnir.

"Why, Agent Romanoff? Why did you do such a thing?" Thor asked quietly, lowering his weapon upon seeing her submit.

"What exactly did she do?" interrupted Stark.

"Thor saw me killing someone – a child."

Stark and Rogers stared at her with shock and disbelief.

"I've heard you've had a hard life, Romanoff, but what the hell?" Stark said.

"It was a mercy killing, Thor," she explained, meeting his eyes, "I ended his pain and made sure he wasn't alone."

"You should have taken him to a healer, not… You killed him in cold blood! You are a monster!"

Natasha didn't flinch, at least not physically. "He could not be saved by any healer on Earth."

"She did the child a kindness, Thor," Banner said, slowly walking up to the group, his borrowed clothing stained with the blood of the survivors he had been tending.

"That is a _kindness_? How can it be?"

"It is the greatest kindness one person can do for another; being there for someone so they do not have to die alone," Rogers said softly.

"What I saw was not a kindness," Thor insisted.

"His name was Luke," Natasha said, "he was eight years old. I held his hand when he said he was in pain. He said his mother took him into the city for a day out, but he lost her in the crowd when the attack began. So I told him she that she would be there soon. I told him everything would be okay and to just close his eyes and his mother would be there when he opened them. Then I broke his neck."

The fight went out of Thor. "There was no way the child could be saved?" he asked meekly.

"I know death."

Thor looked long and hard at the Black Widow. "I acted with haste. I am sorry, Agent Romanoff."

"I'm sorry, too."

She walked away from the rest of the team, back to her search of the city.


	4. Chapter 4

**Iron Man**

The fifth time involved robots and could be directly attributed to Stark's ego.

There was no mission, no bad guy as of yet. Thor was in New Mexico and Tony was making an appearance at a technology convention as Iron Man, Bruce and Steve tagging along to view the gadgets. Natasha was enjoying a rare day off by training with Clint in the extensive training room Tony had built into his tower. They barely got through one set before the call came.

"_There is an incoming call from Miss Potts_," Jarvis announced, "_there also appears to be a situation as I can no longer access Mr Stark's suit_."

"Go ahead," Clint said, both he and Natasha already picking up their things and preparing to depart. "What's happening, Pepper?"

"_Tony's old university rival decided to one-up him in front of an audience_," she explained, sounds of screaming and explosions in the background. "_So far King has taken over his suit and brought an army of robots with him. They are mainly targeting Tony and anyone who tries to fight them, but there are a lot of civilians still in the area. Steve and Bruce are helping with evac but we could use the extra hand in taking out Tony_."

"We're on the way," Clint reassured her, "ten minutes maximum." Pepper thanked them and hung up. Clint cocked his head at Natasha, "Didn't this happen the first time you dealt with Tony?"

"Yes, but I'm surprised it doesn't happen more often."

"Huh."

It was eight minutes later that Clint and Natasha arrived at the event centre where the convention was being held. They ditched their car in a side street and easily slipped past the police line that had been set up around the building. They found Steve, Bruce and Pepper in the doorway to the main room. Barton threw them each an earpiece so they could communicate while he took in the situation. Natasha did likewise after handing Steve his shield which had been left in his room in Stark Tower. He took it gratefully.

Fifty or so humanoid robots and a few artillery pods surrounded Iron Man and were pelting him with bullets and energy pulses while he appeared to be flailing around with no discernible pattern.

"What have we got?" Natasha asked.

"King is off site, I've got some volunteers from the convention tracking the signals back to him along with the police," Pepper said, worried eyes never leaving Tony.

"We got the civilians out, only a few injuries, but most of the fire has been aimed at Tony," Bruce said, relatively calm but with underlying anxiety. "Before you ask there were too many innocent people around to make me even consider letting the other guy out."

"Tony still has control of his mouth and he let us know that he's fine," Steve added, "But King has total control of his suit and is still in the stages of figuring out how to control it, hence the erratic movements."

"How did this happen in the first place?" Natasha asked.

"They gave Tony an award which turned out to be hacking technology. It latched onto his wrist as soon as he touched it and then everything went south from there."

"Hey guys," came the distant shout of Tony over the gun fire, "I know you lot are into your gossip sessions, but I'd really appreciate it if you turned your attention to the current problem."

Steve turned to Bruce, "You think you can manage the other guy?"

"Not this close to people. Put me down as plan Z."

"Alright then, you stay here with Pepper and keep us updated on King." Steve turned to Clint and Natasha, "Hawkeye, there is a second story balcony surrounding the room, you take position there. Don't fire until I say."

"You got it," Clint said before disappearing into the nearest staircase.

"Widow, you go to the east door and I'll go to the west. Wait until my mark."

Natasha nodded before entering the lobby and making her way around to the east entrance. She double-checked that her guns were loaded and her Widow's Bite bracelets were charged.

"Alright guys," Steve said over the comms, "on my mark. Once the robots realise they are under attack, they'll turn on us. The aim is to take out as many as you can as quickly as you can. Once they are out of the way, we can figure out what to do with Stark. Ready?"

"Ready."

"Ready."

"Mark."

Natasha burst through the doors as one of Hawkeye's exploding arrows took out the robots at the north of the room. She concentrated her fire on where the heads of the robots joined their bodies. She felt a rush of satisfaction when her hunch was proved correct and her targets fell.

"The control is in the head," she called, dodging bullets. "Sever the head and you're good."

"Roger that," Clint responded. "My exploding arrows work on the gun-pod-things, so stay clear of those if you don't want to be caught in the blast."

"Noted," Natasha said, Steve consenting as well.

Natasha was facing three robots when one gun ran out of ammo and the other jammed. With a growl she launched herself at the closest robot. Landing with her feet on its shoulders and her hands on its head for stability, she inspected the neck. To allow for movement the cladding was made up of several small pieces of metal instead of one solid piece. It was the work of a moment to reach between them and yank out the many wires. The robot fell beneath her and she leap to the next one.

Before long it was just Natasha, Steve, Clint, a convulsing Iron Man and piles of now useless metal.

"Solid work, team," Tony remarked, "but I think King just worked out the weaponry system."

Natasha dived out of the way of the blast from Tony's left hand while Steve blocked the right's with his shield.

"Great," Natasha sighed. "What now?" She danced around the spread of bullets the suit aimed at her.

"It's too bad Thor isn't here," Clint commented, ducking his own blast directed up at the balcony. "He could just fry him and reboot the system."

"Actually that would only make him stronger. Stark's suit is designed to absorb large amounts of electricity," Natasha countered. "Only a small targeted pulse in a weak spot would do it…" she trailed off.

"Nat," Clint said in warning. He had a feeling he would not like what Natasha was thinking. He was right.

"Hey, Tony," she called, "does King have access to audio and visual?"

"Yep, I'm afraid he can see and hear your very longwinded attempt at defeating my suit. To be fair the Hulk is the probably the only one who could stop Iron Man," he added.

Natasha smiled. "Draw his fire," she ordered the others before running straight for Stark.

From above Clint swore before starting to fire arrows at Stark. A metal plated suit, the best he could do without blowing Tony up or melting off a limb with acid was to dent the joints enough that it was harder for him to move. He got creative firing a grappling hook and tying him to the balcony rail, but the next minute he had to move as the railing and the floor attached to it was pulled off.

Steve was doing his best to draw fire as he dodged the suit's blasts and bullets, constantly moving and creating a new target. When he could he threw his shield at the suit, knocking him back a step or two and making it have to revaluate its surroundings. That option was cut off when the Black Widow threw herself at Stark, perching on his back and shoulders.

"What are you doing?" he shouted, watching as the suit clumsily tried to dislodge the women.

"What does it look like?" she muttered, trying to stay on top of the moving suit while avoiding its grip.

"I didn't know you liked it on top, Agent Romanoff," Tony snickered.

"Not now, Stark."

"Ah, Nat," Clint cautioned, "I think you better hurry up, Stark's about to take off."

Natasha cursed in Russian as the suit started to hover. She redoubled her efforts to get at the one weak spot of the suit. The only place she could shock to be able to overload the circuits was where electricity was allowed to pass. Tony's chest reactor was too well protected, but his palms were not. She dug in her feet as the suit started to fly clumsily around the room, trying its best to throw her off with tight turns, ramming her into the walls and roof and flying with her upside-down.

She fell when Stark did a summersault in the air. She was thrown off, but on the way down managed to catch onto his arm with one hand. "Watch out," Tony shouted as his other arm came up preparing to shoot her in the head. Before the suit had a chance, she thrust her Widow's Bite into the palm. With a crackle the electricity travelled over her and through the suit, the lights of his eyes turning off and the thrusters cutting out. Gravity took hold and they started to fall, but Natasha was already unconscious.

She didn't immediately open her eyes when she woke up. She was lying down in a bed, in a hospital she guessed based on the feeling of the sheets, the beeping of a heart monitor and that signature disinfectant smell. She sensed someone on her right and beyond that were the quiet voices of what sounded like a poker match.

She slowly opened her eyes, giving them a chance to adjust to the bright light. Turning her head to the right she saw Clint sitting in a chair at the side of the bed.

"Hey," he smiled. "We're at S.H.I.E.L.D. base. It was the only hospital that had the equipment to remove Stark from his suit."

"How bad?" she asked softly.

"Considering you fell over thirty feet after being electrocuted and being shot at, I'd say you were doing fine," he smirked.

"Clint."

"Mild concussion, a few scrapes and bruises. The good old Captain managed to catch you on the way down."

"Unlike me, whom he just let fall in a heap," Tony grumbled.

"I think given the choice of you in a solid metal suit and Natasha, Natasha would be the easy choice," Bruce remarked. "Glad to see you awake, Natasha."

Natasha looked beyond Clint to the next bed where Stark was sitting up playing cards on his table, Bruce sitting opposite him on the end of the bed while Steve had the chair. Stark looked a little bruised, but appeared to have come out of the fight in good shape.

"I'm glad too," she responded, slowly sitting up. "Good catch, Captain."

Steve blushed, but nodded. "I figured I owed you from that one time."

Tony snorted, "Like you wouldn't have caught her either way. But it's good you finally woke up, Sleeping Beauty, Hawkeye refused to play a round of poker until you did and no offence but you two are sadly lacking," he gestured to Steve and Bruce who only shrugged in agreement.

"I am warmed by your concern, Stark," Natasha sighed. "Nice to see that this whole event didn't affect your ego."

"Speaking of ego," he said with a smirk, "I believe that I am the first to take down the Black Widow."

Natasha arched an eyebrow at him, "Really?"

"Actually, I think technically she electrocuted herself, so the Black Widow took out the Black Widow," Steve commented casually, throwing down his hand of cards, "and I believe I win this round."

"What?" Tony asked in disbelief.

"A royal flush," Bruce laughed, "nice one, Steve."

"What?" Tony repeated.

"I think your ego just deflated a little bit, Stark," Clint said, leaning back in his chair with his hands behind his head.

Natasha fell asleep to the sounds of Stark's protests and the other's good-natured teasing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Black Widow**

The sixth time hit her the hardest and was the least expected because it was her own mind that turned against her.

Clint had left for a solo mission the week before and a few days after she was also called out. After five long days her mission was over, the information had been collected and a bad man was no longer a threat. Exhausted she managed to avoid all but the basic medical check at S.H.I.E.L.D base before making her way back to her room at Stark Tower.

It was the small hours of the morning when Jarvis identified her and let her into the building. She didn't turn her light on when she entered her room and that was probably why she lashed out at the flicker of movement she saw out of the corner of her eye.

The mirror on her wall, which had caught a glint of light from the streetlights outside her window, lay in shards on the floor. Natasha looked down with detachment at her now bloody fist and her broken mirror. Seven years bad luck would probably be an improvement she decided.

She went through the motions of cleaning up after a mission. Her weapons were taken out of her bag and out of their holsters, cleaned and placed in their homes. Her uniform was tossed into the laundry and the dress she had been wearing on the mission went into the bin, beyond repair. Finally she stepped into the shower. She stayed in until the water went cold, trying to wash the blood off her hands. She thought for a moment that she was imagining the blood, a reminder of her ledger and all the lives she took, but her tired mind eventually realised that she still had bits of glass in her hand from the mirror.

After throwing on some clean clothes she did the best she could with her hand, removing the tiny glass shards, and then moved on to her other injuries. The worst was the gash in her side, which probably needed stitches but she settled for a gauze bandage for the time being. The graze down her left leg was bad but not bleeding enough to warrant a bandage. Her sprained wrist was wrapped sloppily with one hand and the numerous other cuts and bruises were minor enough not to worry. Out of energy she leant against the bathroom wall and slid down until she was sitting. The tiles felt cool and soon she found herself lying down, her many bruises soothed by the lower temperature.

"_Excuse me, Agent Romanoff_," Jarvis's disembodied voice called, "_I couldn't help noticing that you are injured. Would you like me to call for some assistance?_"

Natasha considered the A.I. "Do you ever get tired of following your programming, Jarvis?" she asked her mind far away in a different time and place.

"_I do not, Agent Romanoff_," Jarvis answered obligingly. "_It is the reason I exist, as it were_."

"I was like that once; blindly following orders, never questioning, just existing to serve."

"_Forgive the intrusion, Agent Romanoff, but my information says that you overcame the programming that was forced onto you_," Jarvis offered.

"Yes, but what if I didn't or what if I somehow reboot? I don't want to be that person ever again," she whispered.

"_I assure you, it would not be possible or at least would not take affect for long_."

"How do you know?" she asked, desperation creeping into her voice.

"_You still perform the same actions through S.H.I.E.L.D. that you were programmed to do, do you not?_"

"I do."

"_But you are not controlled against your will?_"

"No."

"_That is the difference, Agent Romanoff. You did not break free of your programming. Instead you embraced it, overcame it and evolved. You are superior to the programming as you made it part of you and now control it. You cannot revert back to the programming as you are now on a different level_."

"You believe that?"

"_Through an examination of your case files, cases similar to yours and your daily mannerisms I can conclude that it is highly unlikely that any attempt at programming or re-programming you would be successful. In the event that it was successful you have a team behind you who would not rest until you were restored to your previous self. Agent Barton is a recent example_."

Natasha slowly considered the A.I.'s words. The dark cloud that had been hovering over her head for the last few days faded a bit. "Thank you, Jarvis."

"_You are most welcome, Agent Romanoff. Would you like to me to call someone for medical assistance?_"

"No, I'll be fine. I'll just rest a bit before I move to my bed."

"_If you are certain, Agent Romanoff_."

She didn't respond as she had dozed off. Jarvis continued to monitor her temperature, heart rate and breathing and made a note to wake her in a few hours in case of concussion.

It was the next morning, technically the same day but now with the sun above the horizon, when Clint returned from his mission. He made a quick stop to his room to dump his bag, bow and quiver, before heading to the kitchen on the communal floor of the tower. Most mornings you could find whoever was in residence sitting around the kitchen counter eating breakfast or drinking a coffee while reading the newspaper.

Pepper was the first to notice him as she was facing the door. "Welcome back, Clint," she called. Steve who was sitting opposite her turned and only waved a greeting as he was in the middle of eating.

"Good to be back," he said, grabbing a chair and an apple from the fruit bowl sitting on the end of the counter. "Did I miss anything?"

"Tony and Bruce are still working on ways to shut down Tony's suit in an emergency," Steve answered. "They are having trouble finding ways that don't make it easier for enemies to do the same."

"Thor is visiting Jane," Pepper continued, "and Natasha got a mission a day or two after you left."

"Really? Do you know where?"

Pepper shook her head, "It was all pretty sudden. I don't think she even knew when she left."

Clint frowned. "Jarvis, could you call Agent Hill for me?"

"_Right away, Agent Barton_."

"_Agent Hill_," she answered.

"Hill, it's Barton. Do you have any information you can share on Agent Romanoff's mission?"

"_I'm glad you asked, actually. Medical was busy when she got in and one of the green doctors got her post-mission check-up instead of her regular doctor. She charmed her way through it of course, so I wanted to make sure she got her injuries tended to properly_."

Clint shared a look with Steve and Pepper. "When did she get in?" he asked sharply.

"_Very early this morning_," Hill answered hesitantly, sensing that something was not right. "_She left base after an immediate debrief and medical_."

"Jarvis, is Natasha in the building?" Clint asked.

"_She is in her rooms, Agent Barton. She appears to have some injuries but is not in a critical condition. She did not wish to be disturbed_."

Clint stood up, quickly followed by Steve and Pepper.

"_Barton_," Hill warned, "_she was doing a web mission. They had her for three full days_."

"Got it. I'll call you back."

"_Thanks, Clint_."

"What's a web mission?" Pepper asked, trying to keep up with the long strides of the two men.

"And why did she skip out on medical?" Steve asked, following Barton as he gave up on the elevator which was taking too long and headed up the stairs.

"A web mission is Natasha's specialty," he answered, taking the steps two at a time. "She does some dodgy spy work, gets caught and is interrogated. You give away the most information when you believe you are in control and Nat knows how to exploit that." They reached her floor. "As to skipping out on the medical, trust is a very fragile thing in our profession. A lot of hits are taken out by assuming a position of trust, for example doctors, police officers, firemen, even priests. It's the work of a moment to steal a white coat and stethoscope, sneak into a room and inject someone with a lethal dose of poison disguised as a booster shot."

"That's…sad," Pepper whispered.

Clint shrugged, "That's the way the world works." He stopped at Natasha's closed but unlocked bedroom door. "You two wait here, I'll let you know if I need any help."

They both nodded and Clint entered the room. The first thing he saw was pieces of mirror littering the floor, reflecting the light from the bare windows. It would almost look pretty he supposed, if it weren't for the small traces of blood on some of the edges. He stepped further into the room, noticing that the bed was untouched, but all of Natasha's weapons were in their proper places. He headed for the closed bathroom door, the only other place she could be.

"Nat?" he called softly, knocking on the door. When he didn't get a response he opened it anyway.

He found her on the floor, her red hair and the blood seeping through her shirt making a stark contrast with the white tiles and material. A quick inspection reassured him that his partner was injured but not mortally. Her breathing indicated that she was asleep, but not unconscious and the blood was seeping not gushing. Her left eye was swollen and purple, a cut on her cheekbone making him think she was punched by someone wearing a ring. Her breathing was shallow hinting at injured ribs or the bleeding cut on her side was deep. Bruises littered her skin and one leg was a solid graze no doubt from jumping out of a moving vehicle.

"Nat," he called again, not wanting to startle her. Based on the mirror outside it would not end well. The third time was the charm and Natasha slowly opened her eyes.

"I thought you were on a mission," she said groggily.

"I just got back," he said, placing a hand on her forehead to check for fever before gently inspecting her eye. "I was told that you charmed your way out of a full medical."

"I didn't feel like dealing with people," she replied honestly. Slowly she sat up with the aid of Clint.

"What happened, Tasha?" he asked gently.

"Nothing that hasn't happened before."

"Something happened for you to close yourself off. Jesus, Nat, this needs stitches," he said having lifted up the edge of her top to see her side. "What kind of knife made this?"

"Machete," she corrected.

"Natasha."

Natasha gave in once she saw Clint's worried expression. She closed her eyes and lent her head back against the wall. "It was the usual show and dance. He asked questions, I answered; he didn't like my answers and then attempted to persuade me. Except he had a lackey doing the dirty work."

"And?"

"The guy was old, in his fifties, and the look in his eye was just…broken. He did everything without question, all the fight had gone out of him. He had old scars, scars that made me think that once upon a time he had tried to get out, get away, break free…and he just couldn't. I saw what my life could have been like, still could be like."

Clint gently cupped her face and brought his forehead to hers until they were touching. "Natasha, you know that's not you. You got out, and I won't let you go back, you hear?"

"I know," she said, opening her eyes and offering him a soft smile. "Jarvis and I had a good conversation. But I'll always wonder."

"Wondering is good, it keeps you on your toes." He frowned, "Jarvis, eh? I've been trying to tell you this for years, and one conversation with Jarvis convinces you."

"Jarvis had good logic. Besides, you're biased."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he admitted. "Now, you need stitches and probably to see someone more qualified that me in the medical field, like Dr Banner."

"If I have to," she sighed.

"You do. Up you get," he said and in one move stood up and swept her into his arms.

"I can walk," she protested, automatically wrapping her good arm around his neck.

"Yes, but someone broke a mirror in your room and you aren't wearing shoes."

"Just this once then."

Steve and Pepper followed them down to the lab where Tony and Bruce were. They were surprised to say the least when Clint entered with Natasha in his arms, but Bruce quickly snapped into doctor mode while Tony pestered her with questions enough to distract her from Bruce's ministrations. Pepper lamented over the loss of Natasha's dress after she found out its fate and then called Thor who had wanted to know when the assassins had returned. Steve offered a few observations but mostly made sure Tony didn't get carried away. And Clint was a solid presence by her side throughout the whole process.

Natasha was very conservative in her choice of friends, but these people here gave her no choice but to befriend them, for which she was glad, even if occasionally she got caught by friendly fire.


End file.
